Cyber-attacks are one of the biggest threats organizations face today. According to a recent study commissioned by Juniper Research, the cost of cybercrime will exceed $226 billion by 2027. That’s a lot of money! The good news is that there are simple steps you can take to protect your business from these threats, including cyber security awareness training for staff and employees. This post provides an overview of some essential topics for your team to learn about so they can be more vigilant in protecting their digital assets against malicious attacks.
Training for Employee Cyber Security Awareness
1. Why cyber security awareness is important
Cyber security is about awareness, not just technology. It’s a team effort. Awareness is a mindset, not just a checklist. Suppose you want to be truly secure and get ahead of the bad guys. In that case, you must ensure that everyone in your organization thinks and acts like an information security professional. Building cyber security awareness means expanding beyond traditional IT skillsets to include all staff members—not just those in IT—so they can make better decisions when using technology.
The goal of cyber security training programs should be to improve overall organizational knowledge and awareness about our vulnerabilities and how we can protect ourselves against them; this has become especially important as more people work remotely through various channels such as web browsers or remote desktop access sessions on their devices rather than directly from company-owned computers connected directly into corporate networks
2. The history and evolution of cyber security
As businesses adopt new technology, cyber security becomes more of a concern. Cyber security is not just a modern phenomenon, although there is no denying that the internet has dramatically changed the way we think about cyber security in recent years. Cyber security is a relatively new field, but it has been around for quite some time, and a few examples that make up a good IT strategy is network, endpoint, and email security. Watch the informational webinar below on the best practices of email security for businesses to create a robust cyber security strategy.
3. Data, information, and cyber assets
Data is information that’s been stored or processed. It can be anything from personal information to financial records and sensitive business data. Data is the fuel for decision-making. Cyber assets are what you have in your organization that can be compromised by cyber threats or attacks, whether it’s a database of customer information or an automated manufacturing system that produces parts for airplanes.
4. Social engineering, phishing, and ransomware
Social engineering is a type of cyber-attack that manipulates people to trick them into doing something they don’t want to do. It can happen via phone, email, or in person. A form of social engineering is phishing. For phishing, attackers will send out emails masquerading as official communications to trick you into clicking on a link. This malware-infested act is designed to steal your data, so watch out for suspicious emails! Ransomware is another example of social engineering. Hackers hold your data hostage in exchange for money and threaten to delete any files they have copied if payment isn’t received within a certain time limit.
5. How to spot a cyber-attack
The old adage, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Well, that’s exactly what a cyber-attack looks like. If you come across a deal that seems too good to pass up—whether it’s on a product or service—there’s probably some scam involved.
However, with all the scammers trying to steal your information and money, you’re bound to find a few legitimate deals every once in a while. It’s essential to keep your guard up when shopping online so that you don’t get tricked into giving away valuable personal information or handing over your credit card number without thinking things through first.
6. The basics of passwords
Passwords are a fundamental but critical aspect of cyber security. They’re the first line of defense against hackers and attackers, so creating a strong password and keeping your passwords from being compromised is essential.
Here are some things you can do:
- Balance strength with convenience: You want your password to be easy to remember and hard for others to guess.
- Use different passwords for different accounts: Avoid using names or obvious phrases as passwords; these can be easily guessed by an attacker who knows you well enough to guess your favorite movie or sports team.
- Don’t reuse the same password across multiple accounts—that way, if one account gets hacked by someone guessing at your password, they won’t have access to all of your other accounts as well!
7. How to secure your devices and networks
When working from home or remotely, it’s essential to be cautious of unknown networks. If you’re not sure about the security of a network, don’t use it. We recommend using a virtual private network (VPN) like StrongVPN to secure your endpoint devices and stay protected across any Wi-Fi network. VPNs provide an encrypted network for users to work on and help endpoint devices stay private on public networks.
8. How to use the internet safely
It’s a good idea to review the guidelines for using the internet safely. In particular, to avoid being tricked into giving away your personal information or compromising your devices:
- Don’t click on links in emails or texts.
- Don’t open attachments in emails unless you know what they are.
- Don’t share personal information online with strangers (or anyone).
- Use different passwords across multiple sites and services so that the rest won’t be compromised if one account gets hacked.
9. The basics of cyber security legislation and regulations
The law is a powerful tool in any business, but it can be easy to overlook when looking at your job’s daily grind. You must understand the laws and regulations that apply specifically to your business. It’s also crucial for you as an employee or contractor to know what these laws are for your industry. Even if they don’t apply directly to what you do every day, some key points might be worth knowing about how other people operate within it.
10. Physical security and cyber security
A robust physical security program and the proper use of cyber security tools can be an effective defense against cyber-attacks. Physical security is essential because it protects people, assets, and information. This includes the protection of data and physical access to data, computers, other equipment, and personal property such as keys or identification cards.
Cyber security begins with your employees
If your employee can identify a threat before acting on it, they can immediately report their suspicions and potentially save the company from becoming compromised by an attack. In other words: don’t underestimate how helpful awareness training is!
It’s important to remember that a culture of security awareness is not something that you can implement overnight. If your organization is serious about making this happen, it will require time, effort, and determination. But if you follow these ten training topics and keep them in mind as part of your daily operations, we believe you’ll make great strides towards building a better cyber defense strategy for yourself or your company.
